Eleanor Gamarsh: Poet Speaks for Everyman

Title: Imperfect Echoes

Subtitle: Writing Truth and Justice with Capital Letters, lie and oppression with Small

Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Genre: Poetry

Pages: 148

Available as paperback and e-book on Amazon

Published by HowToDoItFrugally, LA

Reviewed by Eleanor F. J. Gamarsh

I read poetry occasionally. I have written a few poems spontaneously. As I have begun to write regularly, I thought I ought to learn more about that genre. I believed I could do that by reading current poets’ writing. I chose to read the collections recently published by Carolyn Howard-Johnson title Imperfect Echoes.

By the time I had read less than half the pages, I felt that Carolyn had spoken for Everyman. Sometimes subtle, sometimes brutal imagery and metaphor brought truth to light. Every word on page after page disrupted my thoughts and tugged at my heart. It appeared to me that she laid the thoughts of anyone and everyone who cares about our human condition on each page. Thoughts that either we don’t want to speak or can’t because they are unspeakable for most.

Her recollections may tear at your heart and mind until you come upon a poem about the improbabilities and uniqueness of America. When I read “The Story of My Missed Connection in Minneola,” I burst out laughing. This was pure comic relief amidst pathos.

I read one poem after another because I could not do otherwise. If nothing else, it was my curiosity about what would be next stirring my emotions but being enlightened, also. Up? Down? All around and back again? Then, turning the next page, my funny bone was tickled once more.

As for learning about writing poetry, Imperfect Echoes gave me more than I was looking for.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

After a lifetime of creative work including designing and handcrafting greeting cards and needlework of all kinds, Eleanor Gamarsh recently took up writing in several genres, primarily memoir.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Accepted for inclusion in Poets & Writers prestigious list of published poets, multi award-winning novelist and poet Carolyn Howard-Johnson is widely published in journals and anthologies. She is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list “Fourteen San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts. One of her poems won the Franklin Christoph poetry prize. She was an instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program for nearly a decade. She has written six poetry chapbook in the Celebration Series  with Magdalena Ball, several of them award-winners. Learn more about all her books at http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile or http://howtodoitfrugally.com.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Suzanne Lummis Endorses "Old Woman" Book of Poetry

 

Title: Persons of Interest

Author: Lorine Parks
Genre: poetry
Publisher: Los Nietos Press, 2015, 95 pages
ISBN: 9780692307007
It's available on Amazon for $13.50.

Blurb from Suzanne Lummis, poet and instructor in poetry for UCLA Extension Writers' Program

 

“Among these charming and inventive poems we get, as part of the bargain, the wonderful "Old Woman" series. Women of all ages will emphasize. Women writers of all ages will be jealous they hadn't thought of it first. I know I am.” SUZANNE LUMMIS

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Poet Reviews Love Poetry "Cherished Pulse"

Title: Cherished Pulse
Subtitle: Unconventional Love Poetry
Series: Multi Award-Winning Celebration Series of Poetry Chapbooks
Coauthors: Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball
Pages: 43 (Suitable for a greeting card)
ISBN: 9781449546052
$6.95 paperback, also available as an e-book
Available on Amazon

Mastery of Poetic Imagery

Reviewed by Samanthi Fernando

 

A sweeping journey across time, taking the reader through exotic places, to revisit and ponder on places and phases of the heart. My favorite among the collection of  poems in Cherished Pulse is Carolyn's silken dream "déjà vu?"  which is reminiscent of my own imaginative creations.  

Tender, revealing, colorful - definite mastery of poetic imagery: Cherished Pulse, half of the poems by Carolyn Howard-Johnson and half by Magdalena Ball,  is both a gift for the self as well as a unique gift to touch someone else.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Samanthi Fernando writes inspirational and spiritual poetry. Visit her at Starsafire Poems  http://starsafire.starrayz.com/wordpress/ and share the creations of her poetic ministry of hope and healing.


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Every Day is a Gift Day for Mother

She Wore Emerald Then
Subtitle: Reflections on Mothers and Motherhood

By Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Part of The Celebration Series
Published by The Compulsive Reader
Poetry Chapbook
Available on Amazon
Available as e-book: $2.99

Reviewed by Robert Medak

 

She Wore Emerald Then is a collection of poems by Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson.  

The free verse (Written without rhyme or conventional patterns of poetry) poetry in She Wore Emerald Then is well written and entertaining for readers of any age, not just poetry readers that celebrates Mothers and Motherhood.

She Wore Emerald Then is a book that everyone should read and experience the writing and what the poems say to them. Poetry is about evoking emotion, not written to attempt understanding what was in the author’s mind at the time of penning.

She Wore Emerald Then is a recommended reading and awarded five out of five stars.

Purchase a copy of She Wore Emerald Then and enjoy a celebration Mothers and Motherhood from two gifted writers.

 

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Robert Medak
Freelance Writer/Editor/Blogger/Proofreader/Reviewer/Marketer
http://www.authorsden.com/robertmedak
http://rjmedak.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/freelancewrtr

http://xeeme.com/RobertMedak

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Quick Little Mother's Day Gift--Electronic or Paper

Deeper Into the Pond
By Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Genre: Poetry chapbook/women/Women'sDay/feminism/Mother's Day
ISBN: 9781461159384
Publisher: The Compulsive Reader
Available on Amazon Kindle and Amazon (as paperback)
$6.95


From Gilda Evans' blog Girl Talk

I  am honored to have as a guest on my blog the very talented Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Her books have earned her multiple awards, including the Best Book Award from USA Book News, the Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts from the city of Glendale and Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment from the California State Legislature.  She imparts her wisdom in many formats – I am pleased to present one of her poems from her collection titled “Deeper in the Pond: A Celebration of Femininity.”

Enjoy the reflections and humor of my esteemed guest, Carolyn!

Breakthrough for a Sexagenarian
In my Tangee years, Seventeen
advised I apply makeup
with an upward motion, toil fingers from chin
to cheekbone. We likely didn’t know the word collagen.

Gravity
we had known since Newton. That it would work
its weighty purpose on me, well, no one bothered
to tell me . . .

I, about 30, surprised that an elder-friend
had not shampooed for a week. Another friend
elbows my ribs, gives me a look.
Later says (hushed at the secret), Didn’t you know
that old peoples’ scalps dry up. No, no one ever bothered to tell me . . .

That was scalps. This is jowls. Now on the origami
packet in my Estée Lauder box of rejuvenating cream,
the same directional arrows Seventeen espoused,
(much too late for the anti part of anti-aging cream)
fingers massaging up, up to keep time
in its place.

I’m told fingers are more sensitive than other body
parts, still doubt magic fingerlifts vanish crows’ feet, wonder, though, if they could—would—work on drying labial petals.
No one ever said that, but I’ve learned if I don’t figure
it out for myself, no one will ever
tell me.

In my acne days, lotions pooled in oily
patches I cottoned away.

In the Pond’s Cold Cream
decade when, to combat drying affects,
I left grease shiny—thick enough to slick
my pillow cases.

There a hint.

That and fallen leaves skittering across my lawn,
so dry they sing a song before they crumble into sand. Very nearly too late to do much with this new-found wisdom—this trifle: If there is something I need to know (but really don’t want to know), no one can tell me
one damn thing.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Deeper in the Pond” is available on Amazon at http://budurl.com/DeeperPond 

Carolyn can be reached at -
The Frugal Book Promoter: http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo
/ Web site: http://www.HowToDoItFrugally.com
/ E-mail: CarolynHowardJ@AOL.com
/ Facebook: http://Facebook.com/carolynhowardjohnson
/ Twitter: http://Twitter.com/FrugalBookPromo
/ Pinterest: http://Pinterest.com/chowardjohnson

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Poet J. R. McRae Urges Celebration of Earth Day with Poetry

Sublime Planet: Celebrating Earth Day and the Universe
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball
ISBN 9781482054705
Publisher: Compulsive Reader
Available as paperback or for e-readers on Amazon
"I recommend Sublime Planet particularly to those individuals who reside on this planet." ~ Suzanne Lummis, UCLA poetry instructor

Reviewed by J. R. McRae

SUBLIME PLANET,  includes a section called Sacred Lessons, Poems by Carolyn Howard-Johnson and one called Tipping Point with poems by Magdalena Ball .

Two very different poets, very different styles of writing, have produced a collection united by their passion for environment, for the world that touches their skin and imbues them with its presence with every breath they take.

This collection, is their tribute to their world, both physical and mental, our world.

It is replete with flashes of insight,

forcing myself to see
all these stories
left to grow
viral in rubbish

[from Toxic by Magdalena]

memorable lines that linger in the soul.

 

Writing in my sleep, metaphors that sit on the bridge
of my nose.

[from My Favorite Things by Carolyn]

The collection is sprinkled liberally with stunning images that catch and hold the eye –

Van Gogh brushed sea

marked with freighters,
lights twinkling.
smudged parentheses afar,
looming presences up close.

[From Malacca Strait by Carolyn]

grain of sand in your speculation oyster

truth taken for granted

[From Walking Into Eternity by Magdalena]

Acerbic or more subtly needling, comments, hit home –

Forgotten history meets trashtree

another landfill specimen
pink, fragrant, invasive
easing pangs

you wear like designer clothes.

[From Trashtree by Magdalena]

 

He unaware
he is endangered,
I unaware he might
be dangerous.

[From The Giraffe by Carolyn]

 

This is a collection to be savoured in quiet moments, in those reflective times with wine or coffee in a comfy couch.

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ABOUT THE REVIEWER

J.R.McRae once worked in a circus, as a Rare-Books Librarian, as a book-reviewer, as assessment package writer and Associate Lecturer, English Expression, for international postgraduates, University of Queensland. Her short stories and award winning poetry are in anthologies and journals, like Basics of Life, 100 Stories for Queensland, Stories for Sendai, The Spirit of Poe, Trust and Treachery, Poe-it, Quadrant, Long and Winding Road, Bound by the Secrets We Hide, Antipodes, Social Alternatives. Her Artwork/photography features in Ripples, ABC Pool, The Mozzie and Vine Leaves. As awarded children’s/education writer, J.R.Poulter, she has thirteen books, eleven digital and more coming 2013/14/15. Websites: http://www.jrmcrae_subversive.weebly.com, 

http://www.jenniferrpoulter.weebly.com/

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Nancy Famolari calls Sublime Planet "A Celebration of Earth"

Sublime Planet
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball
The Celebration Series of Poetry
Celebrating Earth and the Universe
Genre: Poetry/Nature/Science
Photography by Ann Howley
Available e-book and paperback

Reviewed by Amazon Vine Reviewer Nancy Famolari Our world is both magnificent and terrible. These poems celebrate both aspects. I delighted in the lush images of places I've loved seeing them through the eyes of someone who loved them, too: Santa Ana winds, poppies, the plains of Kansas. There are also harsh poems like "Trash Tree" that show us the dark side of ourselves and the world. My favorite is "The Man I Love and the Writing Spider" because it's so close to my own experience. I watch the spider build a web of silver threads delighting in the intricacy. But when it leaves the web and wants to come inside, it becomes the enemy. I want to squash it, but I'm grateful when some kinder person rescues it and gives it another chance at life or death. The poems not only invite you to relive sensuous experiences, but they make you think about the world, how important it is, and how we need to care for it. The book is a wonderful gift for Earth Day. A good time to meditate on the magnificence of the world.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Nancy Famolari splits her time between her farm in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania and a smaller farm near Ocala, Florida. She and her husband love riding their Paso Finos in the Endless Mountains and in the Goethe Forest near Ocala. She is the author of the Montbleu Murder series. The Endless Mountains, a lovely rural area with many small towns dating from the early 1800s provides the background for the novels in this series. She also writes romance novels about her experiences racing, breeding, and training Standardbred horses for harness racing. Her most recent mystery  is Yellow Diamond Caper,  http://www.amazon.com/Yellow-Diamond-Caper-Nancy-Famolari/dp/1480151181/

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Poetry: Order Your Best Valentine Ever Early

Title: Cherished Pulse: Unconventional Love Poetry 

Authors:  Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson. 

Genre: Poetry

ISBN: 9781449546052

Reviewer: Joy V. Smith 

Reviewer's link: http://pagadan.wordpress.com/

Review was originally published on Amazon

Publisher:  A Compulsive Reader Publication

Reviewer's rating: 5 stars

Available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle

 Reviewed by Joy V. Smith

 

Say it with poetry

 

This chapbook of poems is a delicious serving of loving and lovely thoughts, memories, and images of love shared and remembered in a breathtaking way, as in these lines from "Aurora":

 

 

"Red, green and purple curtains

waved above you"

 

"If I could capture that spectrum of

atomic neon sign of lost wonder"

 

As a science fiction writer, I so appreciated the cosmic comparisons in Magadalena Ball's poems. 

 

The first group of poems is by Magdalena Ball; the second group is by Carolyn Howard-Johnson.  All the poems flow and entice you into a world of longing and caresses.  Howard-Johnson's poems reflect the imagery of nature, as in these lines from "Dreaming Lilacs":

 

"hearing bougainvillea's fuchsia

song, taking shortcuts

across the lawn to kick

through jacaranda's silent

petalfall. Like Van Goh's flowers

twist their faces

 to the sun, ... "

 

These gentle, but stirring poems are a sweet gift to yourself, a friend, a loved one, or a young girl to show her what love really means...

 

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Joy V. Smith loves science fiction; she reads it and writes it and interviews other science fiction writers when she tracks them down...  Her SF includes Sugar Time (audiobook), two collections of her published short stories, Aliens, Animals, and Adventure andThe Doorway and Other Stories, and three e-books: Hidebound (SF romance/adventure), Pretty Pink Planet, and Hot Yellow Planet (the sequel).  But her latest novel is a western, Detour Trail.

Find The Doorway and Other Stories on Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007SV1FB2

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Poet In His 90s Pens Speak, Old Parrot

Speak, Old Parrot

by Dannie Abse
Author's Web site: http://www.dannieabse.com

ISBN: 9780091944643
Genre: poetry
Available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0091944643/karelsoftw-21
Available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/speak-old-parrot/id616694158?mt=11
Hutchinson, 2013.
80 pp.
$27.95 (hardcover) and
$13.99 (eBook). 

Reviewed by Katelyn S. Eden

Dannie Abse, doctor, author, playwright, and most famously, poet, revisits many of the themes of his previous works in his most recent poetry collection, Speak, Old Parrot. Abse, prolific author and recent winner of the Wales Book of the Year Award, enchants and enthralls readers of every age with his musings on the themes of love, loss, death, medicine, and tradition.

The body of work aligns with the jewel-toned parrot on the cover, speaking to both the bird’s ability to talk of tragedy and hilarity alike, and to Abse’s ability to deal deftly and vividly with these primary elements throughout the collection. In Speak, Old Parrot, the lyrical and narrative elements that form the skeleton for many of Abse’s works are palpable; yet, Abse retains the clever witticisms, sharp imagery, and eloquent narrative style that he is known for. As Abse enjoys his ninetieth year in 2013, the motifs of aging and the frailty of existence are at the heart of the collection:

Now Time wastes me and there’s hardly time

to fuss for more vascular speech.

 

The aspen tree trembles as I do

and there are feathers in the wind.

 

Quick, quick,

speak, old parrot,

do I not feed you with my life?

(“Talking to Myself,” 1-2)

 

“Talking to Myself” and others in the collection share the unique and uncomfortable juxtaposition of bright mind and aging body and Abse adeptly captures this unique juncture in one’s life in this collection. Abse’s masterful handling of enjambment and spare, powerful diction are akin to his other collections, and especially the poems anthologized in On Doctoring. “Portrait of an Old Doctor,” too, highlights Abse’s multifaceted poetic style and the experiences that are the indelible thread in Abse’s works:

He had been a confidence man for the patient.

That’s how it was in The Theatre of Disease

and, at the final act, he had lifted

his stethoscope to listen as if to Mozart.

 

Then, silently, relatives and friends filed out.

No applause. None for Hippocrates’ art.

(“Portrait of an Old Doctor,” 5)

 

In Speak, Old Parrot, it is clear that Abse’s poems are designed to be savored; each beautiful, tragic, humorous, and lyrical layer affects the reader differently, and combined, such as in “Portrait of an Old Doctor,” the effect holds a certain power that only expert poets such as Abse can successfully wield. Abse’s compassion and humility as a physician shines through in this collection, and his reverence for humanity is truly unmatched.

On a more solemn vein, Speak, Old Parrot deals honestly and painfully with the themes of love and loss. “Moonbright,” a poem regarding the death of the speaker’s father, describes with raw emotion the last moments of the father’s life and the first moments of loss for the speaker:

At home, feeling hollow, I shamelessly wept

-whether for you or myself I do not know.

Tonight a bracing wind makes my eyes cry

while a cloud dociles an impudent moon

that is and was, and is again, and was.

 

Men become mortal the night their fathers die.

(“Moonbright,” 9)

 

The sheer weight of loss, the depth of pain that is clear in the poem, is enough to make heavy even the hardest of hearts; but Abse’s ability to display honest emotion through the masterful craftsmanship of the poetic line is what sets his poems apart from his renowned contemporaries, namely William Carlos Williams. In keeping with the shifty ventriloquist personality of the parrot that the collection draws its inspiration from, the poem following “Moonbright” is “Sunbright,” a delicate, dazzling rendering of the speaker’s first encounter with a beautiful woman. The collection is arranged not by subject matter, but rather in an arcing of human emotion, spanning from childlike wonder, to all-consuming lust, to love, to devastating pain and anger at death and loss.

Perhaps the most distinct and wonderful element of Abse’s collection, and his works in general, is his ability to effortlessly ensnare the reader in the heart of his work and tug him or her along, gently, through the spectrum of human emotion and experience. Anyone who reads Speak, Old Parrot will benefit from it. Young readers will relish the lively, passionate, travel-oriented poems; seasoned readers will savor the difficult truths of aging and reassuring tradition; and many readers will enjoy the Romantic undercurrent in the poems that deal with the subject of love present in the collection. From cover to cover, the reader becomes invested in the power of Abse’s words, the concentrated structures of his poems, and his unparalleled translation of human experience into ink on the page.

Speak, Old Parrot is a brilliant collection that is accessible to any reader. Abse challenges the reader to fully explore the power of the human frame and emotion, and it is truly a joy to extract the essence of the collection. Abse is a poetic titan and incomparable wordsmith, and Speak, Old Parrot is the inimitable concentration of poetry that speaks to almost all of his other collections. Speak, Old Parrot is the impressive flourish with which Abse began his ninetieth year, and he reveals no sign of slowing his unbelievable pace or work any time soon.

 

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Today Is Earth Day: Poetry Book to Honor the Day Released

Sublime Planet

Authors: Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball
Authors' Web sites:
Carolyn: http://howtodoitfrugally.com/poetry_books.htm
Magdalena: http://magdalenaball.com
Photos: Ann Howley  
ISBN: 978-1482054705

 

Reviewed by Karen Cioffi

 

Gearing up for Earth Day, Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball are releasing a brand new collection of poems titled Sublime Planet. The collection features relevant poems by Carolyn and Magdalena that demonstrate the interconnections of the world around us, including life, family, and love, along with the growing concern for the earth’s preservation.

This is a beautifully written collection that allows the reader to pause and take note of the world around her.

One of my favorite poems in the collection is one by Carolyn titled “The Giraffe:”

 

A tongue generous

as my head he reaches

for me, barriers no match

for his long neck, sniffs

my hair, kisses my face.

He unaware

he is endangered.

I unaware he might

be dangerous.

 

This poem is a powerful, yet simple tribute to a majestic creature that is now an endangered species. Can you imagine a planet without the giraffe?

Another poem in the collection that struck me is “Tipping Point” by Magdalena Ball: “[. . .] you eat and eat through four billion years of evolution now held loosely by one thread. [. . .] The future waits impatiently your decision.”

Again, powerful, and revealing.

 

Sublime Planet offers moving insight into the world around us and into a world that is in need of attention, and it certainly honors Earth Day. I highly recommend it.

 

For those who aren’t aware of what Earth Day is, Senator Gaylord Nelson created this special day in the spring of 1970. The purpose behind it was to make everyone aware of all the toxins being spewed into the air and dumped in nearby streams or other waterways by manufacturing companies.

At that time, there were no regulatory or legal safety nets to protect our planet, our environment. Senator Nelson took a stand and his cause quickly caught on.

The earth is our planet, our home, our responsibility, and we’re not doing such a good job protecting it.

Sublime Planet celebrates Earth Day (April 22nd).

The poems "Giraffe" and “Tipping Point” are from Sublime Planet, a book of poetry in the Celebration Series coauthored by Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball. It will be released before Earth Day.  In the meantime learn more about Carolyn's poetry books (including that Celebration Series!) at http://howtodoitfrugally.com/poetry_books.htm. And, learn more about Magdalena’s poetry and fiction at http://magdalenaball.com

About the reviewer:

Karen Cioffi is a multi-award-winning author, freelance/ghostwriter, and author online presence instructor. Give your writing and marketing efforts a boost with The Writing World newsletter. Get weekly tips and guidance, plus updates on free webinars, and TWO ebooks! Go to http://thewritingworld.com and sign-up today.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Last Day for FREE Earth Day E-Book

Sublime Planet
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball
Genre: Activist Poetry
Available on Amazon as Paperback, http://amzn.to/SublimePlanet
Available as an e-book, http://bitly.com/EarthDayKind
ISBN: 9781482054705
Photography by Ann Howley
Proceeds from this book benefit World Wildlife Fund


Reviewed by Walter Brasch

April 22 is the 33rd annual Earth Day. The first Earth Day involved students from almost all of America's colleges, and about 20 million others, believed to be the largest grassroots effort in America's history. But, there were dissenters--far too many believed that Earth Day was nothing but a bunch of tree-hugging liberals who were getting tired of protesting the war in VietNam. The anti-war protests did provide an organizing base, but Earth Day has grown so much greater, and is now celebrated in virtually every country on Earth. Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson, in their new book of poetry, SUBLIME PLANET, have created an excellent way to celebrate our planet. In their poems you can learn about a diversity that makes our environment and its people worth keeping. There's Van Gogh, Cassini, and Greek school girls; there's poppies and giraffes, dragons, sea horses, seagulls, and sand. There's the forests and the rivers. Dig deep into each poem and you'll better understand why we need to protect our planet and its environment. More important, you'll learn that all people, animals and plants have a place, and to destroy any one is to destroy us all. Read it. Understand it. And do something positive to preserve and improve what we are blessed with.

Reviewed by Walter M. Brasch, Ph.D., is an award-winning syndicated columnist , radio commentator, and the author of 17 books. His latest is Fracking Pennsylvania, an in-depth investigation into the effects of fracking upon the environment, health, and worker safety. He also looks into the economics and political corruption within this controversial practice.

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

The Best Kind of Valentine Gift--Early and Free

Title: Cherished Pulse
Subtitle: Unconventional Love Poetry
Genre: Poetry/holiday/Valentine's
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball
Available FREE for Kindle or PC/Mac download
Available paperback
Poetry Chapbook o Valentine Greeting Card
ISBN: 9781449546052
Authors' Web sites: http://magdalenaball.com http://howtodoitfrugally.com/poetry_books.htm

 

Valentine’s Day may be the holiday best made for poetry. A rose, a poem and thou.  Trouble is, many that we find on the inside covers of commercial greeting cards may be just a little too-too for many of us. Multi award-winning poets Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball to the rescue with Cherished Pulse, a chapbook of poetry just right for tucking into an envelope or sending off as an e-mail attachment to loved ones.

And right now, Cherished Pulse is available free with the KDP Select free e-book feature. All you do is go to http://bit.ly/Vs07hV

 on January 11, 12, 13, 14 and 14^th and click. And you don’t need to have a Kindle reader to benefit! It may be downloaded as a pdf to send to loved ones, or let Amazon do the work for you by sending directly from their site.

It takes only the click of a mouse!

 

And there is plenty of time for you to schedule delivery before February 14^th.

It's a mini gift and greeting card in one!

Cherished Pulse includes many of the science-inspired poems Magdalena is famous for as well as Carolyn’s nostalgic poetry. Chapbooks in the Celebration Series have won many awards including MWSA’s highest honor of gold and several from USA Book News.

 

It’s you who had me dreaming

lilacs, breathing April’s sweetest

tears…

 

Magdalena Ball runs the highly respected CompulsiveReader.com review site.  She is the author of the poetry book Repulsion Thrust, which was published to unanimous five-star reviews.  Her novel Sleep Before Evening was a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist and she just released a new novel set in Australia. It is Black Cow.  

Carolyn Howard-Johnson's poetry appears frequently in review journals. She is listed in Poets & Writers and her chapbook of poetry, Tracings (   ), was given the Award of Excellence by the Military Writers Society of America. One of her poems recently won the Franklin Christoph Poetry Prize. She is also an award-winning novelist and short story writer and instructor for UCLA Extension Writers' Program.

For more information on the Celebration Series chapbooks, contact either author, or visit media rooms at http://howtodoitfrugally.com  or  http://magdalenaball.com.

Vicki Thomas contributed the watercolors used on the cover and interior. To see her selections of her work, go to http://www.vickithomasartist.com .

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Support material available electronically or by post on request.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Free Last Minute Christmas Book Offer

Blooming Red
Subtitle: Christmas Poetry for the Rational
Coauthors: Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Genre: Poetry
Awards: Honored by Military Writers Society of America and USA Book News
Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/BloomingRedKindle
Dates of Free Offer: Dec 14-18.
Artwork by Vicki Thomas
Website: http://howtodoitfrugally.com/poetry_books.htm

 

Multi award-winning poets Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball figure nothing is more meaningful at any holiday than a poem—a real poem, not sing-songy impersonal verse from the shelves of card shops. They also noticed that many folks remember many people they forgot when it may be too late. 

Ta Da! We have are offering you our "rational" Christmas chapbook to procrastinators free. Enter the KDP Select free e-book feature. All you do is go to http://amzn.to/BloomingRedKind on Dec. 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 and click.

 

Anyone can send it free to anyone they'd like to have a thoughtful—and fast—Christmas gift with a click of a mouse (no not the same mouse that's in "The Night Before Christmas" poem!). The booklet Blooming Red: Christmas Poetry for the Rational was honored by the Military Writers Society of America and USA Book News award.

It's a mini gift and greeting card in one!

 

Blooming Red includes Maggie’s science-inspired and Carolyn’s nostalgic poetry. It also includes some humorous poems for fair measure.

 

Magdalena Ball runs the highly respected CompulsiveReader.com review site.  She is the author of the poetry book Repulsion Thrust, which was published to unanimous 5-star reviews.  Her novel Sleep Before Evening was a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist and she just released a new novel set in Australia. It is Black Cow.  

Carolyn Howard-Johnson's poetry appears frequently in review journals. She is listed in Poets & Writers and her chapbook of poetry, Tracings ( http://budurl.com/CarolynsTracings ), was given the Award of Excellence by the Military Writers Society of America and She Wore Emerald Then won its highest honor of gold. One of her poems recently won the Franklin Christoph Poetry Prize. She is also an award-winning novelist and short story writer and instructor for UCLA Extension Writers' Program.

For more information on any of the chapbooks in the Celebration series, contact either of the authors, or visit media rooms at http://howtodoitfrugally.com  or http://magdalenaball.com. To learn more about artist Vicki Thomas and to see her selections of her work, go to http://www.vickithomasartist.com .

 

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Please let your friends know about this offer. Support material available electronically or by post on request. Contact MaggieBall@CompulsiveReader.com.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Fran Lewis Reviews Poetry Reflections

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REFLECTIONS

By Fran Orenstein
Publisher: Sleepytown Press
Genre: Poetry
Paperback: 136 pages
Language: English
ISBN 13:978-1937260248
ISBN: 1937260240
Author's Website: http://franorenstein.weebly.com/
Five Gold Reflections from Fran Lewis


Reviewed by Fran Lewis

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Look inside the true reflection of a mirror and what do you see? Within the mirror you see your image and the way you look to world right now. But, if you look deeper within that glass what you might find is your history and your life from the time you started school until the last time you put on your makeup and fixed your hair. Life takes us on many different journeys and our physical appearance changes greatly over the years. Journeys take on different meanings to each of us. From the time we can walk, go to school, enter our first classroom we all have vivid memories that we will never forget. As you hear the voice of author Fran Orenstein as she takes us on a journey of our life, her memories, the places she remembers, the changes that occurred to some she wished had remained unchanged we share her joys, triumphs and sorrows in her collection of poems Reflections. Each poem starting from the first tells a story of an event or place that she holds dear.

Children perceive things in their own way and often create worlds filled with wizards, ships, dragons and mystery. Poem one brings the author and the reader back to her childhood and her dreams. Angel wings and fairy dust, unicorns and magic swords are her world and that of many books whose pages you open and read about these amazing worlds. Next, we take a tour of Brooklyn through the eyes of the young author who remembers the Brownstones, playing stoopball, the ice cream man, mothers gossiping and the images of these Brownstones, which often mirrored those that lived in them. Coney Island- Nineteen Forties: I never went there in the 40’s but later on but Coney Island and reading this poem brings back so many great memories that my sister and I had on Sundays. The Steeplechase with the fake horses, screaming riders holding on and praying they’d make it until the end of the ride. Mermaid Avenue was where my grandmother lived, the amazing boardwalk, and of course Nathans. Home for me until recently was my favorite borough the Bronx. The author creates a picture of the Grand Concourse, Yankee Stadium, sneaking into the stadium, the IRT subway and the sounds of the city that bring back so many great memories. Of course two of my favorite Bronx Landmarks: The Bronx Zoo and the Botanical Gardens are still there, so different from when we were younger, but so amazing. The Grand Concourse has changed a lot but the smell of the Kosher Pickles and those amazing and decadent Charlotte Rousses that were my one treat every week brought a super smile to my face as I read, “The Bronx, N.Y. 1947-1952. She continues with Maroon Memories, The Wurtsboro Hill, 1940’s and Greenfield Park, N.Y. 1948-1951.

The Catskill Tea Party that she describes when she is eight is truly priceless. The cups, the leaf plates filled with special plants and the organic natural food that she ate. You can see that her imagination was limitless. Let’s not forget the bullies in our lives or those that scared us just by entering a room or coming in our face. Big John, the handyman was really scary and described as this huge stone statue face that towered over them. The description would make anyone cringe and the end result as to how she overcame her fear you need to read for yourself. Now, of course Frogs hits home. My nephew and I would hunt frogs every summer. We went to the Catskills every July and remained there until after Labor Day. My nephew till this day loves frogs and although as the author brilliantly describes these slimy, ugly, amphibians that often leap on you when you least expect them to, my nephew loved them and had some for pets. Well, that is the ones we caught in the woods and brought back with us. Imagine as the author describes them as cold, wet, disgusting and having boys chase her with those lovely green things in their hands.

Headlights you may think refers to the ones on your car. You would be wrong. Girls that were well endowed and the boys thought worthy of more than just a fleeting glance, but a second look, will love reading this poem. Age 13 most girls laugh, have mood swings and still hug their teddy bears. But, then they start to change and their body’s look different and they start to find that boys are really not awful anymore but dreamy and when our author turns 15 well: He likes her headlights a lot and guess what he’s 16. To find out what Headlights are read the poem on page 35. Next is a poem about High School 1955, Maternal Love, Indifferent Love and Consequences.

Part Two: she titles the Emerging Woman as we leave part one Childhood or Early Years. The author creates a simple but intricate timeline of her life and the important moments she wants to share with the reader. Read Page 45 to understand her definition of Emerging Woman.
There are many poems in part two but I will highlight just a few because they all represent a time in her life but certain ones I feel warrant the spotlight of this reviewer. Poem One: Freedom really creates many pictures within the reader’s mind as the author takes herself and other women on a long walk down a twisted path of the path of life. Each of us, we hope has some positive impact on those we meet. Technology has changed greatly, pods, pads, tablets and phones have entered her world as they did most others. Feeling her age, obsolete at times, after all she started with radio, then television came later and of course she remembers heels, stockings and those infernal girdles that my mother wore. Let’s not forget the gloves, the hairstyles that made you look taller and dressing for work with accessories that made you look the part and of course let’s not forget the different mores that we have now when it comes to marriage and divorce and of course motherhood. This is a great poem that everyone will definitely take something different from it.

“The Path,” is a short poem with many meanings. “ The path of life’s journey is embedded with stones of experience.” Elaborating by stating that each colorful step an adventure and that at every turn we all have some successes and failures. She continues to describe life in many interesting ways as she ends with the path wanders on, infinitely patient. We have the power to choose our own direction and hopefully we will find the right path and follow it reaching our own plateau or mountain. There are so many poems that are in part two that describe the many changes in her life, her feelings, her rise to adulthood and much more. But, “The Corner of Free Will,” really says quite a bit. Choices are made everyday but those choices often mold the direction we take what were we go from the moment we are able to speak until we take our first steps and head in the direction we hope will yield success. Every crossroad she states has a sign clearly marked. “This is the Corner of Free Will you have the choice to stop or go to turn or move ahead or not; decisions made at your own risk.” Very well said and definitely something kids today and adults should think about. Just where this corner takes the author and what you can learn read page 55.

The Mirror of Duality, The Soul Mirror and the Mirror of Truth round out this part of the book. But, the one I want to spotlight is The Mirrors on Her Wall, which I think most will identify with in some way. As you look into the mirror from many different angles you see the many sides of you not only your face but your entire world from many different places, The powerful woman, the bright and funny woman and of course the one that we hope stays within us all the one that is mischievous, fun loving and each one a different role for the author or person looking within the soul of the glass to reveal or hide. The Middle Years Follows and then The Elderly Year are the last two parts of this book.

A Quest is the first poem in The Middle Years. Everyone searches for answers in their lives and hopes they will find their own direction. The author calls herself the Wanderer as she searches the life for answers, reaches out to heal the wound that befall her and understand the meaningless words and gestures of false friends which is difficult. As you go through life many will betray you while others will not. The Quest is never ending. Next, The Faces of Friendship, Endings, I Wonder and my favorite: Recipe for Writer’s Lament which includes the ingredients we all need to create that amazing novel, poem or short story. Just some of the recipe: A cup of ability, a pinch of credibility and a teaspoon of humility and much more. The rest of the recipe and how it all blends when mixed together read page 93. The Elder Years defined on page 108 begins with The Forward March which discusses your decent and her decent into the elder years with the forces of aging taking control the memoirs and the fading dreams.

Seven decades of her life are shared with the reader in so many ways from early childhood until the present. But, in this last part I love Creaky Knees that most people at any age just might identify with as she walks and her knees lock, arthritic, groaning hips, running to the finish line when she was spry, aging joints and crooked backs. You could never make this up if you tried but you can feel each ache and pain described so vividly you want to give her something for relief. But, remember you can complain and carry one but you reached this age and it is truly worth it. Silent World and how it feels when you are alone and no one calls. The rest of the poems focus on her life, motherhood and her family. Going out alone to dinner or playing solitaire or making your own decisions are showcased in the Veil of Loneliness. There are so many poems each telling a story that you must take the journey with the author from start to finish and enter the amazing world of Dr. Fran Orenstein. Life begins at any age and yours dear friend is far from over there are many more stories, novels and poems that you need to pen and keep readers wanting more and teens reading your work.

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.